The Orange Spotlight

Aaron Burch How To Take Yourself Apart, How To Make Yourself Anew (Pank)

I am not sure exactly what I just read, but I know I was transfixed by each and every word. This collection reads somewhat like an instructional guide, but it is more of a guide on how to explore the levels of dementia of Aaron Burch. From the opening short on how to dissect yourself and the multiple other sections on self-mutilation to the sections about folding yourself and others like paper cranes, it is strange but orderly.

This collection is a sanitized look at torture, and a guide on how to seem rational in your insanity, and explain it others with ease. My favorite story is “You Are Here”, and it revolves around an unhealthy obsession with birthmarks. The main character pours various liquids on his skin in an attempt to match the shade and shape of a past love. He describes his skins condition vividly through out the collection, and makes it a clear and key factor throughout. I promise you won't be able to stop reading once you start.

Burch's collection, How To Take Yourself Apart, How To Make Yourself Anew was released last month by Pank, and is beatifully put together and designed. You can order your copy here.

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